It`s More Likely to Become Overweight If You Have Overweight Friends

By Andrea Pelin, Project Weight Loss Editor
February 16, 2009

Obesity is epidemic and it’s still spreading, according to recent American studies. This is the first study that focuses on the impact that social networking has on developing obesity.

The study`s results point that social network may be a contributing factor to the spreading of obesity, according to Dr. Richard J. Hodes, director of the US National Institute of Aging (NIA). Researchers say that one`s behavior, attitude, and acceptance of obesity among his or her family members, friends, or social network play a key role in developing obesity as well as high-calorie foods, or a lifestyle that is not healthy.

Researchers collected data from a network of almost 12,000 individuals regarding their parents, siblings, close friends, children, and spouses. Results show that someone has fifty-seven percent chances to become overweight or obese if he or she has friends who became overweight. The risk is rising to seventy-one percent if he or she has a friend of the same sex who became obese.

In case that one of the brothers is obese, the other has forty percent chances to become overweight or obese. In case of married couples, the chances of the partner with a healthy weight to become obese if the other already has weight problems rises up to thirty-seven percent. Neighbors or smoking behavior cannot influence the spreading of obesity from one person to another, as social networking can.

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